Technology

America is a highly religious nation, and also a highly scientific
and technological nation. In public opinion polls, over 95% of
American consistently say they believe in some sort of god, and
almost 60% say they attend church or some other place of worship
regularly. At the same time, Americans love and rely on the technological
byproducts of modern science.

Genetically engineered crops provide food
for our tables, microchips make our computers run - and increasingly
control everything from our toasters and washing machines to the
engines in our cars. Satellites transmit our phone calls and television
pictures, and new high-tech materials make up our cars, planes,
and sporting equipment. Yet despite the central role of both religion
and technology in American life, some religious people are deeply
ambivalent about (or even hostility towards) modern science -
which is crucial for the development of new technologies.

Part of the problem here is that many people - both religious
and non-religious - feel a certain fear in the face of new technologies.
Some Christians have protested against genetic engineering, for
example, fearing that it will be used in all sorts of disturbing
ways. Likewise many religious people have been worried about the
possible uses, and abuses, of cloning technology. These are legitimate
fears, and indeed almost all technology has the potential to be
abused. But we live in a technological age and knee-jerk negative
reactions are not necessarily productive in the long run. A much
better approach, says Rustum Roy (a leading materials scientist),
is for religious people to become educated about science and technology
so they can be involved in discussions about how we use them.
As Roy explains "the religious community has to work in the
real world in which technology is ever present, ever expanding,
and if they don't understand how it functions they will never
be able to interface with it." Rather than feeling frightened
and immobilized by new technology, Professor Roy believes that
if religious people get involved and learn about it, they will
be empowered to enter the debates and to influence future decisions
and applications.

Likewise, he suggests that scientific
and technological communities have something to gain from being
in dialog with religious people. According to Professor Roy (who
has been involved with US science policy for many years) scientists
and technologists need to be aware of the ethical implications
of their work, and of the potential uses to which it may be put
- both good and bad. Here, he says, they can benefit from discussions
with people of faith.